DISCLOSURE / FILE
A CIA CONFIDENTIAL intelligence information report (FIRK-311/01638) on the Soviet Sary Shagan weapons testing range whose final section records a source's late-summer 1973 sighting of a bright green circular object that grew concentric rings and faded silently.
CIA-UAP-D001, Intelligence Information Report, USSR, 1973
A CIA CONFIDENTIAL intelligence information report (FIRK-311/01638) on the Soviet Sary Shagan weapons testing range whose final section records a source's late-summer 1973 sighting of a bright green circular object that grew concentric rings and faded silently.
This is a CIA Directorate of Operations intelligence information report, number FIRK-311/01638, with country of information listed as USSR and a date of information spanning November 1972 to November 1973, sourced to a former Soviet citizen and acquired in Germany. Most of the report covers the Sary Shagan weapons testing range: facilities, security fencing, the System-75 (SA-2) and System-300/Aldan (identified as the ABM-1/GALOSH) warheads, and rumored laser research. In section 14, the source describes stepping outside during a televised Canada-USSR sport competition one evening in late summer 1973 and observing, west of Site 7 at roughly a 70-degree angle of sighting, a bright green circular object that widened into several green concentric circles over several minutes before the color disappeared. The document stamps itself an information report, not finally evaluated intelligence, and the source offered no opinion on what the phenomenon was and could provide no further details.
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Approved for Release 2026
intelligence 1nrormanon Kcpon
\\'Alll',;J:-;c; F\OTICE
SENSITIVE lNT~LUC.lNC..:E SOUltCES A~D. MLl IIOJ>S 1:-.H>I.H,,
C1uuit1ad bv Recordad ••porting Officer. hentpt fu,m General Dnlouifacohor. !i1ho6'1tl• of l.O. 116l'2 f •
linpou1blw to determino dca1 ■ of ovlomolfc declouifiu,tocn.
DIR!CIOUTC Of P;.(,E I u·
OP!UIIONS
THIS lS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED lt-:JTHLIGENCE
CONE J DE ·tt TI AL REPORT NO. FIi< K- 3 11 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ ·
1 00
DATE DISTR. _1, [~ Dec emhl=' r - •
COUNTRY • USSR
DOI November 19;2-N6vemher 1973
su~ECT The Sary Shagan Weapons Testing
Range
FIELD NO.
ACQ Germany
SOURCE former So,·iet citi:en who Hrv,·.'.
This report!
I
Summary: This report· provides limited info:rza.tion on the Sarr
shagan weapons testirtg r ge, to· in~lude facilities, ~o:rk 6:re~,.
security fencing, the re onal headquarters (V/Ch 0.3080)_ ud ~
warhead checkout unit (V 03142). Also included ii U•i~ed
information on the followin1: System-75 [SA·2) and Syt~ea--300/
Aldan [~BP:1-1 GAL~SH] "'arheads·; rumored laser reset"rch; and iua
un1dent1f1ed aerial phenomenon. End of SU1111Ury.
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r, 0 \ F j il f •• ~I.' L/\•iAR\:~..- ,c-~iC.:L - ·):=:~.s;-;-j\":: ;~;-:-I::LLIGENCE
;::>00RCES A\D ME7HODS I :,;\"OL n.r
~JRf-311/01638-77
4 •
10. Besides the Syste~-75 SA-21 warheads, Site 4 also
chec~ed the warheads fo~ a missi:e(sJ know~ as the System-300
and/or Aldan. (Field Comment: :.ou;ce did not ~new if Aldan was
another· name for tf:e Svstem-.~a,, ,.iss.:.:r:, ::ir : f ·,:.c-y v,ere two
similar missiles.j The System-3(·0/A.lchn ,.._.r.1r;1ea.:;; :.:ifter being
checked at Site 4 were taken to ~-.it~-for laun-:hing. According
to rumor, the missile ~as for antimissile defense (nrotivo
raketna~a oborona - PRO). (Fie}d Comment: Sour-:e 1dent1fied the
System- ~oa;Alctan m1ss1le in avafj able rererence materi?.l as the
ABM- I/GALOSH.)
li. The warhead for the Sy5tem-300/Aldan missile was about
two meters long and 80 to 100 certimeters 1n diameter. The war
head weighed approximately 400 kilograms, and it ~ontained an
unrecalled number of black cassettes, 45 x 12 centimeters, which
housed an unknown .number of meta] balls (shariki). Warheads for
the Sys:em-75 [SA-2) missile had approximately 100 grey cassettes,
30 x 7 centimeters, each of which held about 200 to 300 meLal balls,
each no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. (Field Comment:
Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined
that all systems could be equipped ~ith nuclear warheads. However,
Source stated all work done by his department was basically
experimental (opytnaya) .J • •
13. According to hearsay, ecperiments involving laser weapons
were being conducted at an unknown location at the range. Sup
posedly, the tests involved powe:i:--Eul antennas (no further details).
14. On one evening in late :,ummer 1973, Source observed an
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C O !i F l B f. I< 'f I A t/WARNING NOTICE - SENS IT IVE INTELLl GENCE
SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED
FIRK-311/0lb38--7
unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport com
petition between Canada and·the.U::iSR on television, he stepped
outside for some air and observed an.unidentified sharp (bright)
green circular object or ~a~s in the sky. The object was situated
\>.·est of the site at an angle· of sighting of approximately 70
degrees. The altitude of the object was undeter~inable. (Field
Comment; Although there were no clouds in the sky that even1n 6 ,
Source believed that the green mass would have been hiiher than
cloud level. Source could not estimate the diameter of the
object.) Within 10 to 15 seconds of observ~tion, the green circle
widened and w'ith'in a brief period of time several ireen concentric
circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the'coloring dis·
appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated
with the phenomenon. (Field ColllJllent: Source had no. opinion as
to what this phenomenon was. 16 n-vas no resultant rumors.
Source could not provide any further details.)
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IConcatenated page-by-page transcript. Born-digital pages came through pdf.js; scanned pages were transcribed by Claude vision OCR. Pages marked unreadable failed multiple OCR retries (heavy redaction, microfilm artifacts, or blank separators) and are kept in place for audit.
Approved for Release 2026
intelligence 1nrormanon Kcpon
\\'Alll',;J:-;c; F\OTICE
SENSITIVE lNT~LUC.lNC..:E SOUltCES A~D. MLl IIOJ>S 1:-.H>I.H,,
C1uuit1ad bv Recordad ••porting Officer. hentpt fu,m General Dnlouifacohor. !i1ho6'1tl• of l.O. 116l'2 f •
linpou1blw to determino dca1 ■ of ovlomolfc declouifiu,tocn.
DIR!CIOUTC Of P;.(,E I u·
OP!UIIONS
THIS lS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED lt-:JTHLIGENCE
CONE J DE ·tt TI AL REPORT NO. FIi< K- 3 11 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ ·
1 00
DATE DISTR. _1, [~ Dec emhl=' r - •
COUNTRY • USSR
DOI November 19;2-N6vemher 1973
su~ECT The Sary Shagan Weapons Testing
Range
FIELD NO.
ACQ Germany
SOURCE former So,·iet citi:en who Hrv,·.'.
This report!
I
Summary: This report· provides limited info:rza.tion on the Sarr
shagan weapons testirtg r ge, to· in~lude facilities, ~o:rk 6:re~,.
security fencing, the re onal headquarters (V/Ch 0.3080)_ ud ~
warhead checkout unit (V 03142). Also included ii U•i~ed
information on the followin1: System-75 [SA·2) and Syt~ea--300/
Aldan [~BP:1-1 GAL~SH] "'arheads·; rumored laser reset"rch; and iua
un1dent1f1ed aerial phenomenon. End of SU1111Ury.
5
4
3 -/
2
l....CQNf I OitlTlAtr, 0 \ F j il f •• ~I.' L/\•iAR\:~..- ,c-~iC.:L - ·):=:~.s;-;-j\":: ;~;-:-I::LLIGENCE
;::>00RCES A\D ME7HODS I :,;\"OL n.r
~JRf-311/01638-77
4 •
10. Besides the Syste~-75 SA-21 warheads, Site 4 also
chec~ed the warheads fo~ a missi:e(sJ know~ as the System-300
and/or Aldan. (Field Comment: :.ou;ce did not ~new if Aldan was
another· name for tf:e Svstem-.~a,, ,.iss.:.:r:, ::ir : f ·,:.c-y v,ere two
similar missiles.j The System-3(·0/A.lchn ,.._.r.1r;1ea.:;; :.:ifter being
checked at Site 4 were taken to ~-.it~-for laun-:hing. According
to rumor, the missile ~as for antimissile defense (nrotivo
raketna~a oborona - PRO). (Fie}d Comment: Sour-:e 1dent1fied the
System- ~oa;Alctan m1ss1le in avafj able rererence materi?.l as the
ABM- I/GALOSH.)
li. The warhead for the Sy5tem-300/Aldan missile was about
two meters long and 80 to 100 certimeters 1n diameter. The war
head weighed approximately 400 kilograms, and it ~ontained an
unrecalled number of black cassettes, 45 x 12 centimeters, which
housed an unknown .number of meta] balls (shariki). Warheads for
the Sys:em-75 [SA-2) missile had approximately 100 grey cassettes,
30 x 7 centimeters, each of which held about 200 to 300 meLal balls,
each no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. (Field Comment:
Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined
that all systems could be equipped ~ith nuclear warheads. However,
Source stated all work done by his department was basically
experimental (opytnaya) .J • •
13. According to hearsay, ecperiments involving laser weapons
were being conducted at an unknown location at the range. Sup
posedly, the tests involved powe:i:--Eul antennas (no further details).
14. On one evening in late :,ummer 1973, Source observed an
e e NF I BBNT I AbC O !i F l B f. I< 'f I A t/WARNING NOTICE - SENS IT IVE INTELLl GENCE
SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED
FIRK-311/0lb38--7
unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport com
petition between Canada and·the.U::iSR on television, he stepped
outside for some air and observed an.unidentified sharp (bright)
green circular object or ~a~s in the sky. The object was situated
\>.·est of the site at an angle· of sighting of approximately 70
degrees. The altitude of the object was undeter~inable. (Field
Comment; Although there were no clouds in the sky that even1n 6 ,
Source believed that the green mass would have been hiiher than
cloud level. Source could not estimate the diameter of the
object.) Within 10 to 15 seconds of observ~tion, the green circle
widened and w'ith'in a brief period of time several ireen concentric
circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the'coloring dis·
appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated
with the phenomenon. (Field ColllJllent: Source had no. opinion as
to what this phenomenon was. 16 n-vas no resultant rumors.
Source could not provide any further details.)
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